Covid-19 Task Force: B1617 New Variant Not Yet Detected in Indonesia
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21 April 2021 12:19 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the emergence of a new coronavirus variant called B1617. Indonesia's Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson, Wiku Adisasmito, said cases of the new variant have not been found in the archipelago.
“The B1617 variant has not been found in samples used for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) until April 19, 2021,” said Wiku in a written statement on Tuesday, April 20.
The government, he added, had made efforts to curb imported cases that are part of tiered control of the pandemic in Indonesia. The government has also issued policies that bar the entry of international travelers.
The prohibition is applied to both foreign nationals who meet the requirements and Indonesian citizens from abroad via the task force’s Circular No. 8 of 2021 that is still prevailing to date.
In this regulation, people entering Indonesia must present a negative PCR test result document from their country of origin, take two PCR tests upon arrival and after quarantine in Indonesia, and undergo five-day quarantine between the two Covid-19 tests.
Read: A Year of Coronavirus Pandemic; Covid-19 Task Force Reflects on Risk Zones
DEWI NURITA
